While Malaysia’s citizens are among the most proficient English speakers in Asia, a gap persists between people in urban and rural areas. The country has pushed in recent years to increase English literacy because of its role in the global economy.
Shortly after it was chartered in 2015, the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl began working to reduce the disparity, says Noni Said, a club past president who inaugurated Project REAL. By 2020, the club’s initiative operated in 16 rural schools in Sabah state, benefiting some 4,000 students by providing teacher training, books, and equipment. A committee including Rotarians visits schools and meets quarterly with education leaders to monitor progress. Project REAL attracted early financial support from philanthropic organizations and the Australian Embassy.
New partnerships with Rotary members in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and in Taiwan have enabled the club to expand the project to an additional 18 schools.